Switch



DC- 13, 1938- A. ARUTUNQFF SWITCH Filed April l0, 1936 ers have been Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES SWITCH Armais Arutunoff,

Reda Pump Company,

Bartlesville, Okla., assignor to Bartlesville, Okla., a

corporation of Delaware Application April 10, 1936, Serial No. 13,692 5 Claims. (Cl. 20m-lll) My invention relates to switches and more particularly to switches or circuit breakers for electrical currents of high potential.

Heretofore, whenever the potential exceeded 660 volts, the opening and closing of industrial electrical circuits such as is required for frequent starting and stopping of large electrical motors and the like, has been conducted by switches immersed in insulating oil. The oil switches have many disadvantages. rlhey are cumbersome, complicated, diiiicult and expensive to install or replace.

One object of my invention is to provide an. air breaker for use for potentials in which oil breakheretofore employed.

Another object of my invention is to provide an air breaker of large capacity.

Another object oi my invention is to provide means which utilizes forces created by the are to extinguish the arc.

Another object of my invention is to provide acontact means in which the contacting surraces are automatically changed.

Still another object of my invention is to increase the` working range of the movable contacts of the switch beyond the working range of the actuating means of the switch.

Another object of my invention is to provide a circuit'breaker in which the circuit cannot be made immediately after it is broken to preclude rapid switching on and ofi'.

Other and further objects of my inven appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of the instant specication and is to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the Various views;

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a switch containing one embodiment of my invention with parts in section in the normal open position ready to be closed.

Figure 2 is a View of the switch of Figure 1 just after the circuit has been broken.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail View showing the switch in closed position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary View on an enlarged scale showing a modication of the embodiment shown in Figure l.

Figure 5 is a sectional vie 5 -5 of Figure 4.

In general, my invention contemplates the use of a plunger making contact through a ball in an enclosed chamber. The ball acts as a valve within the chamber besides presenting a fresh conton Will w taken on a line ing 8 made of high temp tact surface during successive operations' of the switch. The pressure built up upon the breaking of the circuit tends to extinguish the are. Pressure created below the ball valve forces the plunger away from the other contact surface. Pressure of the arc may also be effectually used without employment of a ball or valve.

More particularly referring now to the drawing, mounted upon a suitable base I is a sclenoid 2, which is adapted to be energized from a push button station. An armature 3 is normally held in the position shown in Figure 1 by any suitable springs 4. A block of insulating material 5 is connected to the armature 3 by a link S. Supported upon the base I are a plurality of shells I in which is housed a busherature insulating comnbre, ceramic material,

position such as asbestos, soapstone, glass, or the like. A stationary conducting post 9 is secured in the upper portion of the bushing and any suitable means such as nut II provided for making connection with an electrical conductor Ill. Each of the shells 'I houses similar constructions, it being understood that any number of points may be provided for maku ing and breaking the circuit, to be used in parallel in one branch of the circuit or in groups across two parts oi the circuit. In 'the drawing a single phase or single line switch having two shells 'I is shown. For a three phase or three 30 line switch, six shells or housings 'I are mounted on block 5. In the form shown in Figure 1, the circuit is broken in four places. The insulating block 5 carries a pairof conducting plungers I2, which are connected by a jump conductor I3. Suitable cushioning compensating means such as springs I4 are provided vbeneath each of the plungers I2. Within each of the bushings 8 is formed an enlarged or high pressure chamber l5 in which is housed a circuit making ball I6. On the opposite side of the contact making ball valve Bil is the low pressure chamber 20 in which is positioned the plunger I2.

To the other stationary conducting post 9 is secured another conductor il so that, when the solenoid 2 is energized, the armature 3 will be raised, moving insulating block 5 and plungers l2 upwardly. The ends of the plungers move balls I6 against stationary conducting posts 9 completing a circuit from conductor I0 through one conducting post 9, through one ball I6, through one plunger I2, through the other ball I6, through the other Contact post 9, to the otherconductor il.

In the modification shown lin Figure 4, the insulating bushing 8 is recessed at I8 and houses a pivoted gate I 9, positioned so that the gate tends to move to the full line position of Figure 4 of its own weight. As the plunger I2 is raised, the -gate I9 is engaged thereby and moved to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4.

Normally, the plunger I2 nts fairly close in the bushing 8.

In operation, the switch is actuated to closed position by energizing solenoid 2, thus raising the armature 3 and moving the parts to the position shown in Figure 3, completing the circuit as heretofore described. This distance traveled by the plunger I2 in closing the circuit is the working range of the solenoid and is shown in Figure 1 as the space above the top ofV the armature 3, designated by numeral 2I. The energizing current of solenoid 2 may be broken manually or automatically by an overloading or undervoltage device of the prior art when it is desired to use the switch as a circuit breaker. On deenergizing of solenoid 2, the weight of the plungers I2 and the insulating block 5, as well as the weight of the armature, allows the switch to open as shown in Figure l. An arcing which takes place upon the moving of 'plungers I2 downwardly will produce pressure which acts in two ways. In chamber I5 the higher pressure is created which is effective in quenching the arc, While in cham-` ber 2D, the pressure will not substantially exceed that required for compressing the springs 4, the arc quenching being accomplished by virtue of the distance of movement of the plunger and space separating the contact surfaces.

The pressure of the gases generated by the arcing acts upon the plungers I2 to move them downwardly beyond their normal position shown in Figure 1, compressing springs 4 to a position shown in Figure 2. In this position, it will be noted that the armature 3 has been moved beyond the working range of the solenoid 2 as indicated by the number 2l which extended range is shown in Figure 2 at 2Ia. There is no danger of the switch closing under the action of the compressed spring 4 as the gases leak slowly and the pressure diminishes gradually in the chambers I5 and 20. In fact, even if the solenoid were en.

ergized, the closing of the switch will be retarded by the gas pressures exerted on the plungers I2` In order to avoid making the t between plungers I2 and bushing 8 too close, the required voltage may also be obtained by the construction shown in Figure 4. As the switch moves downwardly, the valve I9 acts as a partition to break the arc and to hold the pressure in the chamber I5, thus aiding in the extinguishment of the arc. In this form of construction, if it is attempted to re-establish the circuit immediately, the pressure of gases behind valve I9 will arrest the throw of armature I3 to prevent the making of the circuit. After the gases have leaked from behind valve I9, the upward force of the armature is suflicient to move the valve to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4.

It will be observed that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. I have provided means for lengthening the distance for arcing farbeyond the working range of a solenoid and for extinguishing the arc by the pressure of the gases generated thereby and have employed this gas pressure to prevent the immediate re-establishment of the circuit after it has been broken. I have provided a switch in which there are at least four points of contact from which arcing may take place, thus distributing the damaging effect of arcing onto several members. My switch is easily portable and is of high capacity Without the necessity of using oil as a quenching medium. Hanging of the switch is prevented due to the fact that in the pressure chamber heat created by overloading is sufficient to build pressure which will separate the contacts and cause arcing in absence of solenoid action.

It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be em.- ployed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a switch, a stationary conducting con` tact post, an insulating member formed with an elongated chamber open at one end, said stationary contact post extending into said insulating member and exposing a conducting surface to said chamber, a plunger positioned with one end thereof extending into said chamber, a conducting ball disposed between said contact post and said plunger, a spring normally holding said plunger out of contact with said conducting ball and means for moving said plunger against the action of said spring into said chamber to clamp said ball between said contacting post and said plunger to complete a circuit therethrough, the construction being such that the pressure of gases formed by arcing incidental to the breaking of the circuit will be partially maintained within said chamber by said plunger whereby said pressure will tend to extinguish the arcing and move said plunger away from contact making position against the action of said spring.

2. In a magnetically operated switch, stationary and movable contacts, actuating means including a solenoid of predetermined magnetic operating range, means operable upon the breaking of the circuit for moving the actuating means beyond the magnetic range of the solenoid, and means to return the actuating means to a position Within the range of the solenoid.

3. In a magnetically operated switch having stationary and movable contacts positioned in a pressure chamber, actuating mechanism for the movable contact includingv a solenoid of predetermined magnetic range, the contacts being adapted to separate to such a degree that the actuating means is moved beyond the operating range of the solenoid, and means to return the actuating means to a position within the range of the solenoid.

4. In a magnetically operated switch having stationary and movable contacts positioned in a pressure chamber, a conducting ball Within the pressure chamber disposed between said stationary and movable contacts, actuating mechanismfor the movable contact including a solenoid of predetermined pressure range, the contacts the arc, and means to return the actuating means range of the solenoid, said pressure chamber beto a position within the range of the solenoid. ing provided with a seat, said ball being 5. In a magnetically operat'ed switch having adapted to lodge upon said seat for retaining stationary and movable contacts positioned in a gases formed by arcing incidental tothe breaking pressure chamber, a conducting ball within the of the circuit whereby to extinguish the arc, pressure chamber disposed between said station-Y means to return the actuating means to a posiary and movable contacts, actuating mechanism tion within the range of the solenoid, and means for the movable Contact including a solenoid of responsive to the pressure of gases formed by predetermined pressure range, the contacts bearcing for retarding the return 0f the actuatingv ing adapted to separate to such a degree that the means to circuit making position. 10 actuating means is moved beyond the operating ARMAIS ARUTUNOFF- 

